Pregnancy Tips for Black Skin
Dear BSD, what should my pregnancy skin care routine look like?
There’s waaaaay too much conflicting advice and I’m worried I’m doing it wrong.
Help!
Firstly, congratulations!
Secondly, we need you to stop panicking about your skincare. There are many things to be concerned about in pregnancy and skincare should not be one of them. There is a tremendous amount of scaremongering that happens to pregnant women and we’re not here for it. Yes, you may need to make some temporary changes if you’ve been used to high active skincare products and professional treatments, but in the grand scheme of things it’s all very relative and common sense behaviour. Do not lose your head.
Nothing is predictable in pregnancy and this includes your skin.
Your skin can go one of many ways - increased oiliness and breakouts; dry; increased sensitivity; increased hyperpigmentation. This is all fuelled by the surge of extra hormones in your system. Some of these skin conditions can also hang around post delivery and a bit longer if you’re breastfeeding. But again, nothing you can’t handle.
At the very least you need a cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen. You don’t need anything that is formulated for pregnancy, there is no such thing. You can shop for skincare in the same aisles as everyone else. You just need products that your skin is comfortable with. If skin is feeling dry, you may want to up your hydration and look for water rich, nourishing and cocooning products. Hyaluronic Acid, glycerin, gluconolacctone, shea butter, jojoba oils will be good options. If your skin is getting increasingly greasier and spot prone, then including something with salicylic acid in your routine is a good option - either within a cleanser product or a toner. The usual pigmentation products will also be fine. There are several options here. The only time to stop using a product is if it no longer agrees with your skin.
It is always advised to stay away from retinoids, so if you’re a retinol or retinal user you may find that this is your one big change. We don’t know the effects of retinoids on pregnant skin, but we do know that Vitamin A in its purest form isn’t great for a growing foetus, so by extension it is advisable to stay away from it and all its derivatives whilst pregnant. You can return to it after baby is born, even when breastfeeding. So long as you’re not applying to your nipple, you’re all good!
If you still want to keep a night-time treatment product in your routine that has a bit more ‘umph’ than a basic moisturiser, look for moisturisers that have lactic, mandelic or azelaic acid. If your skin is particularly sensitive a moisturiser with a polyhydroxy acid like gluconolactone is a safe bet. They will do a little bit of everything, exfoliation, brightening, fading dark marks. There is evidence that products with the ingredient Bakuchiol also do a good job and totally safe during pregnancy.
Make sure you continue to use sunscreen. Pregnancy has a habit of playing around with our complexion and pigmentation issues can crop up. Sunscreen is one way of preventing this or stop it worsening. It is very common for Black skin to experience Chloasma due to the surge in eostrogen, progesterone and melanin stimulating hormone in the third trimester. This causes the skin to darken and discolour (similar to melasma); it does fade after delivery for the vast majority of women, though longer if you’re breastfeeding. Sometimes it hangs around and there is no rhyme or reason why. It’s very noticeable in Black women as you tend to go several shades darker, but only from your neck upwards.
Sometimes there is a worry about professional treatments but you can have professional facial treatments whilst pregnant, your skin professional will adjust to suit - exfoliating treatments using very gentle acids such as lactic and mandelic acid, shallow micro-needling and LED light therapy treatments all help to keep skin in tip top condition. Most lasers are out of the question, bar the Byonik PLT laser (after 1st trimester) is a 100% discomfort free laser treatment using hyaluronic acid to repair and rejuvenate the skin. It’s totally blissful!
When it comes to stretch marks, all bodies are build differently, some people will get them and some people won’t. They are caused when the skin stretches to accommodate the growing bump and elastin (the supportive elastic fibres in the skin) breaks. It can happen even if you moisturise religiously, so don’t be disheartened. Keep your skin moisturised so it remains supple and comfortable. Sadly they won’t disappear completely but stretch marks do eventually fade overtime so they are less noticeable and there are also treatments that can speed this up.
Bottom line, please don’t freak out about your skin just because your pregnant, especially if it’s behaving itself fairly well. Whatever happens, with the help of a skin professional you’ll be able to make some tweaks that give you peace of mind.